Adjustable fastening device



INVENTOR. FRED W AN DRE'LWS.

w Cal /M 1-; ATTORNEKi F. W. ANDREWS ADJUSTABLE FASTENING DEVICE Filed April 20. 1948 April 28, 1953 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 ADJUSTABLE FASTENING DEVICE Fred W. Andrews, Dover, Del., assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,194

3 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable fastening devices and more particularly to highly resilient adjustable garters. The invention is especially adapted for supporting hose from girdles or the like wearing apparel and is primarily intended for and serves a particularly useful purpose for use in conjunction with rubber latex or the like girdles.

While highly resilient or readily stretchable garters are desired for girdles and the like wear ing apparel, it is particularly desirable that garters of this type be utilized in connection with relatively thin rubber latex or the like girdles, for example, such as disclosed in the patent to A. N. Spanel No. 2,360,736, granted October 17, 194.4. Prior to the present invention no satisfactory way was known to provide for readily adjusting and maintaining the adjusted length of garters having stretch characteristics comparable to those of the material reduced in its cross-sectional dimensions when elongated under stress and in the arrangements heretofore proposed for adjustable devices this reduction in cross-sectional area caused slipping of the strap with respect to its buckle or the like holding means. Another problem involved in solving this difficulty is due to the fact that any positive clamping action against the rubber strap or piercing of the same by a prong would be detrimental to the strap itself, causing it to break or tear.

An object of this invention is to provide a device having the desirable characteristics above stated while obviating the abovementioned difficulties.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described having relatively great elasticity in which the length may be readily adjusted and the adjusted length maintained without slipping.

Another object is to provide a highly elastic when said strap is placed under repeated intermittent stress.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 showing further details of the buckle and attached strap portions;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the strap in one stage of its adjusting position;

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view showing a further step in adjusting the strap length of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of the buckle of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of a modified form of buckle.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, a segment of a rubber latex girdle is designated as 1 having a dependent strap portion 2 from which it is desired to support the usual fastening means 3 for engagement with a hose. The fastening means 3 is provided with the usual button 3a and metal loop 31'). An adjustable garter strap 4, in the present embodiment made of rubber latex or the like sheet material having a thickness of the order of .025", has its lower end clamped to the fastening means 3 as by means of metal U-clamp 3c. The upper end of the strap 4 is held by an adjusting buckle 5 which is attached, as by means of the metal U-clamp 2c, to -the strap portion 2..

The buckle 5 is made of relatively thin sheet metal, in the present embodiment of the order of .035" thickness, and has transversely extending slots 6 and 1 formed therein with the length of the slots extending crosswise of the buckle and being spaced apart lengthwise of the buckle to provide a first cross bar 8 therebetween. The slot 1 is spaced from the lower end of the buckle to provide a second cross bar 9 which has a lower edge defined by the lower end of the buckle. Similarly the slot 6 is spaced from the upper end of the buckle to provide an upper end bar [0 which serves as, a convenient means to attach the buckle to the strap 2 from which it is to be permanently supported; being attached 3 thereto as by looping the strap 2 around the cross bar with the free end 217 disposed over the main portion 2a and fastened in position by the U-clamp 20 previously described. Adjacent the lower end of the buckle a pair of flat jaws or fingers H and 12 extend from the respectively opposite edges of the body of the buckle 'and projectforwardly and inwardly so as to overlie the lower edge ofthe cross bar 9 in parallelism therewith. The jaws H and I?! are disposed in transverse alignment overlying the adjacent face of the buckle and spaced upwardly therefrom to provide a transversely ex"- tending throat IS; the inner ends of the fingers H and I2 are spaced apart to form a month i l;

The upper slot 6 preferably is somewhat longer than the normal unstretched widthof the strap 4 and is of such a width as to readily "accommodate the strap 2 and its clamp 2c together with two thicknesses of the strap #3 passing through said slotf for:thespurposestobe more particularly pointed out belowl' "Iheslot l isiorrned' on an arc throughout its leng .1 which is'sliglitly less than the normal or unstretched width of the strap 4,-while the widthoi" vthe 'slot "i iss'oinewhat greater than the normal. thickness of the "strap, preferably about twice. the thickness of thestrap in its normal or unstretched condition. From this it-wi-ll be seen that the slot rostrictively engages the strap by causing 'it to be bowed so that the upper surfaceof the strap is'fri'c't'io'nally'engaged against the upper edge o-f the slot "i; As far asthe-tunctionof the device is concerned thisslot could be approximately the same length asthe'width of the strap and of a width equal to the thickness of the strap but it has been found d-inicul-t to make-slotsof such a narrow width inmassproduction. The threat i3 is of a length in a transverse direction substantially equal to the widthof the strap l-in its normal or unstretched condition and the width of the throat i3 is equal onslightlyless than three timesthe thickness of the strap 6 in its normal condition. The-mouth ld, i.e.-, the space between the inner ends of the jaws ll-lZ, is preferably asgreat asthe-width of-the slot Ii-and no greater than one-thirdoPthe-length of-the throat w. The importance ofthese various dimensions and their significance in the successful operation ofthe device will be better-understood from the re- 'lationsh-ip of the buckle -and strap now to be'described. V i

The-main part of 'the; strap,- designated 4a, passes-upwardlythrough the throat l3 closely adjacent:to-thei-nnerfaces of the jaws lI-l2 (Fig 2) thence rearwardly th roughthewider slot '6 and-downwardly around the lower edge of the second -ba1 ewupwardly through the throat l 3 a'gainst-the-upperface of the bar 9 thence abruptly-rearwardly through the marrow slot 7,- .-upwardly beneath the first orouter turn of the strap overthe rear face of the first bar {3,- abruptly forwardly through the wider slot thencedownwardly over the-front face of the barB and thence downwardly through the throat- 13 intermediate the strap 'pbr't'ions previously described The manner of-pla'cing the'strap -in--position in the buckle will best be understoodby reference to Fig. 4 from whichit will be .seen that the" strap is passed from front toback through'the'wider slot 6 then downwardly behind. the buckle, upwardly through the throat 13, rearwardly through the narrow slot a-upwardly ovei thefirst bar .3 then outwardly beneath-itself and through the wider slot --imposed layers 4a and ib from the jaws H-l2 to the position shown in Fig. 4: so that either strap portionid or '51) may be pulled outwardly until the proper adjustment is made, at which time the overlying-strap portions may again be inserted beneath the jaws or fingers ll-i2. It has been found that in addition to the relatively narrow w-idth or theslot 1 with respect to the $101; 6,

iav'emidli, other changes, and

that the three thicknesses of strap passing through the throat l3 should be held flatly and closely one against the other and against the front face ofthebody of the buckle" and against the "inner" faces of thejaws H l2 so" that the three" thicknesses are snugly engaged face-torace relation within the throat l a when tirestra is in its normal or untens'ioned condition. 'I'have found thatwith theparts as above show'na'nd described the 'garterrhay be placed under rel'a tively great tension intermittently'an'fd repeatedly without causin'g'an'y slipping of the,adjuste"d'p0sition. From'niereregein it will be understood that the lateral eXtent' or length of the throat l3 and the opening of the mouth it'sliould besiich that 's'i'de'w'ise pun "of" mejstra'p '4 in n rmal use Will not tend to dislodge th'straipfrorn the throat l3. H a I I With reference tofFig. 2', it will be note'dthat the upper portion of' the buckle, -f'cirrning in the present embodiment the cross bar ill, isoffset from the plane or the main ma of'the buckle a sufficient di'staneejuewa iaiy s'dthat t 'disposed over the'thro'at' i 3-, -thereby placing the-adjusted strap '4 n subs-tanner Vertical alignment with the" supportin "strap 2. f rms" provides an optimlllh iibs'itloii 0 1 alignment. 7

'In'Fig. 7 nave; shown menses sane buckle in which the respectively cor-responding parts are designated with inseam e umeieis' ireiferring to' the parts of Fig. 6 but with the pri'me siifii'x added; The difference between an" medifi'cat'ion and the embodimentof Fig. 6' re seem theutilization of a-"straight slot '1 instead of the curved slot 1 of Fig. 6; the straight not I being of anngtasubs'iannau equal to 'the width of the-strap t in normal condition and of ;a width equal; to or slightly-lessthan the thickness of the" strap {3 in'nor ina'l condition] The lower edge of slot l is preferably spaced from the lower edge oflthebucklea distance substantiallyeqnal to'the width of the fingers or j aws Il''-l2. With this arrangement of: the slot l the eyeball height or the'buckle' ma be less'than the height of the buckle shown in Fig. 6. As abov e'explained, this modified form of buckle functions satisfactorily but is more difiicult to -inakein mass production due-to the diliicultie's t; forming 'a slot so positioned" andof such seesaw width. I

Having thus described my ifivep withparticularity,- with reference to 'pre'f'err d embodiinent offthe'sa'me, and having fete certain modificanensm ereor, it will see I, those'skilledin'th'e an; after 111161;

tions' "may beniad therein without asserting from the spirit or scope of my invention and I aim in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable fastening device comprising a buckle having an end adapted to be attached to a supporting strap-like member and having a pair of transverse slots, one of said slots being of narrower width than the other, the narrower slot being disposed in spaced relation with respect to thewider slot to provide an intervening first bar and being spaced from the opposite end of said buckle to provide a second bar, a pair of jaws extending from respectively opposite sides of said body and disposed over said second bar in spaced relation thereto to provide a throat and having their inwardly directed ends spaced apart to provide a mouth, and a strap whose length is to be adjusted, said strap being looped about said second bar with a tail portion passing upwardly through said throat thence rearwardly through said narrow slot and a main portion passing upwardly over the rear of said second bar and both portions in superimposed relation passing over the rear face of said first bar thence forwardly through said wide slot and downwardly over the front face of said first bar and over the portion of said tail portion lying over said second bar and outwardly through said throat, said main portion of said strap extending beyond said tail portion and the lower end of said main portion being adapted to be connected to an article of wearing apparel.

2. An adjustable fastening device for supporting hose from girdles comprising a buckle having a dependent strap, said device having an upper end bar for attachment to said strap and a pair of spaced transverse slots providing therebetween a first cross bar, one or" said slots being of nar rower width than the other, said narrower slot being spaced from the opposite end of said buckle to provide a second cross bar, a pair of jaws extending from respectively opposite sides of said body and disposed over said second cross bar in spaced relation thereto to provide a throat and having their inwardly directed ends spaced apart to provide a mouth, and a strap of latex rubber or the like highly elastic material of a thickness of the order of .025" whose length is to be adjusted, said strap being looped about said second cross bar with one portion thereof passing upwardly through said throat thence rearwardly through said narrow slot and with the other portion passing upwardly over the rear of said second cross bar and both portions in superimposed relation passing over the rear face of said first cross bar thence forwardly through said wide slot and downwardly over the front face of said first cross bar and over the portion of said one portion of said strap lying over said second cross bar and outwardly through said throat, said other portion of said strap extending downwardly beyond said one portion and having its lower end attached to a fastening means for engagement with a hose and said narrow slot being curved in the direction of its length and being of a width approximately twice the thickness of and a length less than the respective normal thickness and width of said strap, and said throat having a width of the order or three times said normal strap thicl ness and a mouth extending less than one-third the throat width, whereby said strap portions are firmly locked in the desired and readily adjusted position relative to said buckle.

3. An adjustable garter for rubber latex girdles having a dependent elastic strap, said garter comprising a buckle having at its upper end means adapted to be attached to said strap, a second cross bar at its lower end and a first cross bar spaced from the second cross bar to provide a relatively narrow slot, said buckle also having a pair of oppositely disposed fingers extending forwardly from respectively opposite sides of said buckle and thence inwardly over and in spaced relation to the front face or said second cross bar and toward each other with their inner ends spaced apart to provide a mouth, and a relatively thin sheet rubber strap looped about said second cross bar with the two strap portions passing upwardly, one of said portions passing over the front and top of said second cross bar beneath said fingers thence rearwardly through said narrow slot, the other of said strap portions passing over the rear said second cross bar upwardly to overlie said rearwardly disposed one portion and both of said portions in superimposed surface contacting relationship passing upwardly over the rear face of said first cross bar, thence forwardly over the top of said first cross bar and downwardly over the front face of said first cross bar and thence over said one strap portion overlying said second cross bar and beneath said fingers, the three plies of said strap being in intimate surface contact with each other and closely confined between said second cross bar and fingers and said other portion of said strap extending downwardly beyond said one portion and having its lower end attached to a fastening means for engagement with a hose.

FRED W. ANDREWS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,201,542 Baumgartner Oct. 17, 1916 1,776,338 Schwanda Sept. 23, 1930 2,094,292 Cousens Sept. 28, 1937 2,119,469 Kerngood May 31, 1938 2,285,714 Hirsh June 9, 1942 2,360,736 Spanel Oct. 17, 1944 2,501,860 Becker Mar. 28, 1950 

